kinderpoisandbox - How We Express Ourselves

How We Express Ourselves An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
Can’t We Just Get Along Subject focus Language Arts, Social Studies, Art Standards
2. Students will understand causes and effects of interaction among societies, including trade, systems of international exchange, war, and diplomacy. Strands
a. Give examples of conflict, cooperation among individuals and groups b. Identify and describe factors that contribute to cooperation and factors that may cause conflict. c. Identify ways that language, art, music, and other cultural elements may facilitate global understanding. d. Understand that some ways of dealing with disagreements work better than others and that people who are not involved in a disagreement may be helpful in solving it.

5. Students will understand social systems and structures and how these influence individuals.

b. Recognize appropriate and inappropriate social behavior and the impact of making choices about behavior.
c. Identify roles and patterns of behavior that people demonstrate in group situations.



Central Idea The way people express themselves, affect their relationships. Formative: Documented Teacher Observation The teacher will observe the students demonstrating use of the essential agreements in class. Formative: Extended Written Response The students will complete an all about me booklet in which they outline some of their qualities that make them unique and special. Formative: Oral Assessment Throughout the unit the teacher will read the students books from "The Best Me I Can Be" series and facilitate discussion about how the different qualities presented in the stories demonstrate values and responsibilities. Formative: Documented Teacher Observation Summative assessment What are the possible ways of assessing students’ understanding of the central idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for? Each student will complete a banner that includes their photo and five ways that they help to build effective relationships and a positive comminuty in the classroom. The teacher will look for students to respond to the essential agreements in class and through transitions. Teachers develop a rubric or checklist to assess the students at the beginning and end of the unit. The student always/usually/rarely/never: verbally expresses feelings and ideas physically expresses feelings and ideas visually expresses feelings and ideas participates willingly in individual play participates willingly in parallel play participates willingly in group play spontaneously uses everyday materials appropriately spontaneously uses everyday materials creatively. Each student is asked to draw and explain a picture of "What have I learned?" These drawings with captions are collected in a class book.
2. What do we want to learn? What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry? Responsibility Perspective Connection
Lines of Inquiry: 1. How the three C’s help us to learn and play together (cooperation, communication, conflict management) 2. Our responsibility to ourselves and each other What teacher questions or provocations will drive these inquiries? How can we show cooperation? In what ways do we communicate? What should we do if we have a problem? What does being responsible look like? why do we need rules? what does it mean to be responsible? why should I be responsible? *